Taking Sides Read online

  TAKING SIDES

  Written by

  Kate William

  Created by

  FRANCINE PASCAL

  Copyright ©, 2015 by Francine Pascal

  To Monika Block,

  with love from her

  sister Rachel

  TAKING SIDES

  "Who do you think Jeffrey likes better," Jenny asked curiously, "Enid or Lila?"

  "Enid?" Jessica demanded, horrified. "Why would he like Enid?"

  Jessica's cousin's brown eyes widened. "Well, I thought Elizabeth was trying to help Enid get together with him. I heard—" She broke off when she saw the expression on Jessica's face. "Did I say something wrong?"

  "No, Jen," Jessica said grimly. "What did you hear?"

  Jenny looked uncomfortable. "Well, I accidentally overheard Elizabeth talking to Enid on the phone. And she kept encouraging Enid, saying that she was a million. times better suited to Jeffrey than Lila."

  "Oh, she did, did she?" Jessica seethed. So that was Elizabeth's plan! Well, she wasn't going to let Elizabeth outmaneuver her. Not in a million years!

  CONTENTS

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  One

  "Elizabeth, you're blocking the sun!" Jessica Wakefield complained, shading her aquamarine eyes and squinting critically at her twin sister.

  Elizabeth laughed. "Twins are supposed to share things, right?" she reminded her. "At least that's what you told me this morning, when you borrowed that bracelet you're wearing. You'd think we'd be able to share the sunlight, too!"

  Lila Fowler giggled. "She's got you there, Jess," she pointed out. "Anyway, you shouldn't get too comfortable. Lunch hour's almost over, and you promised you'd help me with my history homework before next period."

  Jessica groaned. "Can't a girl even relax for a minute around this place?" she complained, pulling herself up to a sitting position. The girls were on the grassy front lawn in front of Sweet Valley High, listening to Lila's cassette player and enjoying the sunshine before afternoon classes began.

  "Speaking of sharing," Jessica said suddenly. "Robin was saying the cheerleaders really need to try our new routine to music. Could I borrow your cassette player this afternoon, Lila? I promise I'll give it back to you tomorrow," she added.

  Lila shrugged. "Take it all week," she said nonchalantly. "Daddy's got about five of them at home. He'll never even notice this one's gone."

  "See, Liz!" Jessica said triumphantly. "That's what I call generosity."

  Elizabeth exchanged an amused smile with Enid Rollins, her best friend, who was sitting with them on the lawn. She could think of a few more appropriate labels for Lila's behavior! It was easy enough to be generous when one's allowance was the size Lila's was. The only daughter of one of the richest men in Southern California, Lila Fowler had only to point to something, and it was hers. Sometimes Elizabeth felt sorry for Lila, though. She knew the girl must be lonely. Her parents were divorced, and she hadn't seen her mother in years. Her father traveled a lot, so often her only companion in the huge mansion in which they lived was the housekeeper.

  Elizabeth tended to give people the benefit of the doubt; thus, she had always tried to make allowances for Lila's behavior. But it was hard to sympathize when Lila carried on as she usually did, bragging about her clothes or her new personal computer, going on and on about the lavish vacations she and her father went on, or making snide comments about her classmates.

  Elizabeth sighed, her gaze moving past Lila to her sister Jessica. Looking at Jessica was like looking into a mirror. Juniors at Sweet Valley High, the sixteen-year-old twins were identical: slender and willowy, with sun-streaked blond hair tumbling down to their shoulders and wide-set blue-green eyes. They had the kind of looks that make California girls famous around the world.

  One helpful distinguishing feature was that Elizabeth dressed much more conservatively than her sister. Elizabeth usually preferred tailored skirts and sweaters, chinos, or jeans, the kind of comfortable classic clothing that Jessica declared unfit to wear anywhere outside the house—although Jessica felt free to borrow anything that appealed to her, since she went through style after style with relentless enthusiasm.

  And that, Elizabeth reflected, was probably characteristic of the main difference between them. She considered herself dedicated, hardworking, and liked taking things one step at a time. She loved her schoolwork and took her hobbies seriously, especially her work for The Oracle, the school newspaper. Elizabeth hoped to be a writer one day, and she knew she needed all the experience she could get. She kept a journal, too, where she recorded her innermost thoughts and the events that mattered most to her. Elizabeth had dozens of friends, but she valued her privacy as well. She enjoyed being on her own or with her best friend, Enid Rollins, who shared many of her interests, rather than with a large group.

  Jessica, on the other hand, thought Enid Rollins was too boring for words. Jessica loved crowds and excitement, and it wasn't surprising that her hobbies usually put her in the limelight. Co-captain of the cheerleaders with Robin Wilson, Jessica did everything she could to maintain what she called her "visibility." Whatever Jessica's latest obsession was—modern dance, gourmet cooking, matchmaking, or just the inevitable shopping spree—she was sure to throw herself into it with great if short-lived enthusiasm.

  Elizabeth loved her sister with all her might, despite their occasional squabbles and their constant differences of opinion. And what she admired most about Jessica was her enthusiasm, which could flare up at any minute and change a dull day into an adventure-filled one.

  "Hey," Jessica said suddenly, her eyes sparkling as if she had been reading her sister's mind. "Isn't that the new guy from Oregon over there with Aaron Dallas?"

  Elizabeth followed her sister's gaze. "You're right," she said matter-of-factly, then turned and smiled at Enid. Enid blushed and looked away, obviously trying to look nonchalant.

  "He was at the party you guys had for Steve, right?" Lila said, putting on her sunglasses and staring across the lawn. The party Lila was referring to had taken place a week earlier and had been given by the twins for their older brother Steven to mark the end of his midterm break from college, where he was in his freshman year. Steven had been seriously considering leaving school to take a job on the cruise ship owned by his roommate's father, and the Wakefields had all been involved in a scheme to change his mind. Luckily their plan had worked, and Steven had decided to carry on with his education and put plans of work off for the present.

  "Jeffrey French," Jessica said dreamily. "What a wonderful name. He's got to be really romantic with a name like French."

  Elizabeth laughed. "Well, he sure is good-looking," she said, hoping to close the discussion. She knew how uncomfortable it must be making Enid feel. Jeffrey had been at school for only a week, but he had already made a big impression. He had come to the Friday the Thirteenth dance put on by the school committee a week before, and Enid had noticed him right away. The next night he had come to the party at the Wakefields' house with Aaron Dallas, a classmate of the twins. Aaron and Jeffrey had been at the same soccer camp the summer before. Elizabeth had only to take one look at Enid that night to know she'd been hit—and hit hard. It had been a long time since Enid had cared for someone, and Elizabeth had often suspected that when it happened, it would happen with a vengeance. And she had been right: Enid had already confided to Elizabeth that she liked Jeffrey. In fact, Elizabeth and Enid had been scheming for days, trying to think of a good way for Enid and Jeffrey to get a real chance to talk.

  "He sure is cute," Lila said, studying Jeffrey and letting her history book slip unnoticed off her lap. "Where's he from? Why haven't I gotten to meet him yet?"

  Elizabeth frowned. "He's from Oregon," she said, thinking fast. The last thing Enid needed was for Lila to get interested in Jeffrey!

  "He's from a farm," Enid chimed in, winking at Elizabeth.

  Elizabeth giggled, taking the hint. Lila would never be interested in Jeffrey if they played up his outdoorsy nature. Lila liked slick, sophisticated guys—usually older than she was—with hefty bank accounts. "That's right," Elizabeth confirmed. "He's a soccer player. That's how he knows Aaron. He's really crazy about sports—anything outdoors and athletic."

  "He sounds divine," Lila said. "No wonder he's got such huge muscles." She hugged herself and smiled. "I bet he's got a really sensitive side to him. Isn't that what you always hear about farm boys?"

  Elizabeth and Enid looked at each other, dismayed. "I don't think so, Lila," Enid said hurriedly. "I think farming is pretty gross, actually. Lots of manure and smelly animals and everything."

  Lila didn't look the least bit perturbed. "Oh, animals," she said flippantly. "Daddy says the out-of-doors is the best place for a young man to build character."

  Jessica couldn't suppress a groan. She knew that Lila's father hated nature. But Lila ignored her. She slipped her sunglasses off and studied herself critically in her compact mirror. "I wonder if he likes horses. Daddy mentioned that he'd like to get me a horse, but I haven't ridden one in so long. Maybe Jeffrey can help me out."

  Jessica looked delighted. "Lila, what a great idea! And who knows, maybe one thing will lead to another. You and Jeffrey French would make the best couple ever!"


  Elizabeth bit her lip. "Oh, I don't think so," she said, trying not to show how upset she was. Enid looked horrified.

  "Why not?" Lila demanded. "I need to meet a real guy, you know what I mean? I'm sick of pretentious college men. I want someone earnest, someone sincere—"

  "Lila," Elizabeth cut in, "do you really think you'd like a guy whose favorite pastimes are mountain climbing and soccer?"

  "Absolutely," Lila said stubbornly. "Daddy and I climbed mountains once when we were skiing in the Alps. It was a really wonderful experience, Liz." She looked hurt. "You guys don't give me enough credit. I'm sick of boys with big trust funds who don't care about the real things in life. Jeffrey French is exactly the sort of guy I need!"

  "Bravo!" Jessica shrieked, clapping her hands. "Lila, let's go over and I'll introduce you. You're going to just adore him, I can tell!"

  "I can tell, too," Lila said enthusiastically, gathering her books together and scrambling to her feet. The next minute she and Jessica were hurrying across the lawn, talking animatedly as they closed in on Jeffrey French.

  Elizabeth sighed as she watched them approach the handsome blond boy. "Enid," she said, patting her friend's hand sympathetically, "you must be ready to kill her!"

  Enid's green eyes flashed. "I can't believe my rotten luck, Liz. Lila could go after any guy she wanted. Why does she have to go for the one guy in the whole world I'm interested in?"

  Elizabeth looked thoughtfully at Enid. "Well, there's no point in giving up," she said cheerfully.

  "What do you mean?" Enid said glumly. "Lila's got everything: cars, credit cards, an incredible mansion! How in the world am I supposed to compete with all that?"

  Elizabeth giggled. "Lila doesn't have Elizabeth Wakefield on her side," she pointed out. "And I'll tell you something, Enid. I am not going to sit back and watch that girl walk all over poor Jeffrey!"

  Enid began to look a bit more like her old self. "Do you really think I've got a chance?" she asked dubiously.

  "I don't just think so," Elizabeth said confidently. "I know so!"

  "Jessica, hurry up!" Elizabeth called, watching her twin stroll leisurely across the sundappled parking lot. Elizabeth was in the passenger seat of the red Fiat Spider she and her sister shared.

  "Boy, you're a real grouch today," Jessica commented, throwing her cheerleading sweater and Lila's cassette recorder in the back of the car and climbing in. "What's the big hurry?" she asked as she turned the key in the ignition.

  "I guess you've forgotten all about Jenny," Elizabeth said accusingly.

  Jessica's aqua eyes widened, and she clapped her hand over her mouth. "Oh, no," she groaned. "You're right. I did forget! No wonder you're so crabby!"

  Elizabeth laughed. "Jenny's a perfectly nice girl," she declared. "And I'm not in a bad mood at all. I just promised Mom we'd be home in time to help with dinner tonight. Dad's picking Jenny up at the airport and bringing her back with him on his way home from work."

  "Poor Dad." Jessica unwrapped a stick of gum and popped it into her mouth, then started the car. "Can you imagine anything worse after a long week at the office than having to suffer through a car ride alone with Jenny Townsend?"

  Elizabeth shook her head as her twin backed the Fiat out of the parking lot. "She's your cousin, Jess," she said reprovingly. "It isn't really nice to talk about her that way. Besides, we haven't seen her in ages. Maybe she's gotten better."

  "Well," Jessica said moodily, "she couldn't have gotten any worse, that's for sure. Liz, don't you remember what she was like when she came last time? She wrecked that gorgeous blue skirt of mine, and she completely trashed my room—"

  Elizabeth burst out laughing. Jessica's room was infamous in the Wakefield household. The rest of the split-level ranch house was immaculate, but Jessica's room was always a mess. Elizabeth couldn't imagine that even Jenny could make it look worse than usual.

  "I don't think it's funny," Jessica said with a pout. "She's completely impossible, Liz. And the worst part of the whole thing is that she never lets me out of her sight! She follows me around like—like—"

  "Like she's your younger cousin and she looks up to you," Elizabeth said firmly. "Remember what Mom said, Jess. You'd better be nice to her."

  "But she's staying for two whole weeks!" Jessica moaned. "I can't believe it! You'd think the girl would be a little more sensitive and at least shorten the misery for us."

  "Jessica," Elizabeth warned.

  "Why can't she look up to you? Or to Steve, for that matter? It's just my luck to have the nerdiest cousin in the whole world!"

  "Well, we're just going to have to put up with her," Elizabeth said absently. Her mind was only partly occupied with Jessica's complaints. Elizabeth had been hard at work on a special supplement The Oracle was preparing for Food-Drive Week, a program set up in conjunction with the PTA to help raise money and food for needy families in the area. For the next two weeks, it looked as if The Oracle would demand even more of Elizabeth's time than it usually did. She was also thinking about Enid and wondering what, if anything, she could do to bring her friend and Jeffrey French together.

  "It's the worst possible timing, too," Jessica continued as she drove. "There's the volleyball game against Parker High next week and the beach party for Food-Drive Week—and on top of all that, what am I going to do about Eddie?"

  Elizabeth studied her twin for a minute. "Eddie?" she asked at last. "I hate to seem stupid, but who's Eddie?"

  "Eddie Winters," Jessica said, "just happens to be the most totally important thing to have happened to me all year. If you weren't so wrapped up in that silly newspaper you'd probably know about him."

  Elizabeth giggled. She couldn't help being amused by the tone of her sister's voice. Jessica fell in love almost as often as she changed her clothing! "Well, we all have to make sacrifices." Seeing the sad expression on her twin's face, Elizabeth added, "Don't look so glum, Jess. Is Eddie that tall guy I saw you with in the hall this afternoon?"

  Jessica nodded. "He's a senior—and on the swim team. He's amazing, Liz. I'm not kidding. I think he's really the man of my dreams. I was practically sure he was going to ask me out sometime this weekend. Only now Jenny's coming, and everything's ruined!"

  "Give the girl a chance," Elizabeth suggested. "She's fifteen now. She's not a baby anymore."

  Jessica snorted. "That girl is a pain, Liz. A real pain. She's not going to be any better just 'cause she's two years older."

  "Well, you'll certainly get a chance to find out," Elizabeth said. "Mom tried to convince Jenny to stay in my room, but apparently she refused. She said one of the things she liked best about coming out here to visit was sleeping in your room. So you two will get to see an awful lot of each other!"

  Jessica turned the car into the Wakefield driveway and shut off the motor. Still holding on to the steering wheel, she closed her eyes and shook her head slowly, an expression of utter agony on her face. "Why me?" she wailed melodramatically. "Why is this happening to me?"

  But Elizabeth was already out of the car and didn't bother to respond to her sister's theatrics. She was trying to think what she was going to say when Enid called her before dinner. She was still trying to come up with a good way to get Enid and Jeffrey together, before Lila got to the new boy first.

  Two

  "I don't know, Liz," Enid said disconsolately. "I don't think I've got much of a chance. Jeffrey's one in a million. How in the world am I going to get someone like him interested in me?"

  Elizabeth was on the phone in her bedroom, her shoes kicked off and her legs tucked up under her. "Enid Rollins, I can't believe you! I've never heard you say anything so ridiculous. Can you imagine any guy in his right mind preferring Lila Fowler to you? You're sweet, sincere, clever, witty—everything a nice guy like Jeffrey would naturally care about! And, Lila! Well, you know Lila," she concluded.

  "You've got a point there," Enid admitted. "Lila isn't the world's easiest person to get along with. But you've got to admit the package sure looks good."

  Elizabeth sighed. "Well, you know Lila's theory on life: 'Anything worth doing is worth overdoing.' I wouldn't put it past her to do anything to get Jeffrey if she's really interested in him. But that just means we have to be prepared with a counterattack."